Method or system of conveying and dumping brick-molds.



w. a. mums. METHOD OB. SYSTEM OF UONVEYI NG AND DUMPING BRICK MOLDS.

APPLIUATIOH Eli-ED JULY 1, 1909.

Hammad Aug. 36, 1910.

' 2 flHBETS-BHEET 1.

W'lTNEssEs .JZNVENTUH v WILLIAM E.Luun1.

W. E. LOOMIS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m m h. mfl T m EHH NM L My m 1 A ww fi RM m; I TWS E TL U l LEE w Kvm E5 r15 Jr g Q wwx wN r a g J L U u METHOD 0R SYSTEM or CONVEYING AND DUMPING BRICK MOLDS. 969,072.

VVZL'I'NES SE 5 UNITED strArps Pagans? OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. LOOMI S, OF SHERBROOKE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

METHOD OR SYSTEM OF CONVEYING AND DUMPING BRICK-MOLDS'.

Application filed July 1,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 30, 1910.

1909. Serial No. 505,347.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that l, \Vrnnuu E. Looms,

I ofthe city of Sherbrooke, in the Province ments in Methods or Systems of Conveying and Dumping Brick-Molds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a method or system of conveying and dumping brick molds and the object is to provide a very simple and easily operated system by which the brick molds will be automatically picked up and conveyed to a suitable dumping device and there inverted and the contents dumped, while the molds are returned to the machines. During this operation a pallet is located over each mold and carried with said molds to be inverted or dumped therewith.

The operation of my system will be better understood from the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. 'Fig. 3 is. an enlarged sectional detail view of the dumping mechanism on the line 3-? Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the carriers attached to the conveyer chains.

In the above defined figures 5 indicates the location of a brick making machine and (5 the location of the sander operating in connection therewith. A table 7' is provided over which the filled molds 8 pass as they are ejected from the brick machine. A conveyor table 9 is located at right angles to the table 7" and on the same horizontal plane therewith so that the filled molds will pass from the table 7 into the conveyer table 9, as indicated by the position of the mold S. A conveyer chain 10 is mounted on the table 9 and is provided with steps or catches 11 adapted to engage the. end of the mold 8 and carry the same along the table 9 to a position under the main portion of the device. A pallet feed table 12 is provided, parallel with the conveyor table 9, and adjacent the side thereof remote from the. brick machine,on which the empty pallets 13 are placed, face down, as they areremoved from the brick drying kiln. A pair of endless conveyer chains 14 are provided running at right angles to the conveyor chain 10. The chains 1% pass over a pair of driving sprockets 15 mounted on a shaft 16, journaled to the framework 17 of the main portion of the machine, and over guiding sprockets 18, 19', 20, 21 and 22 arranged in pairs on shafts i3 journaled to the framework 17, parallel with the drive shaft 16.

The chain 14 and sprockets may be arranged in various ways but I prefer the arrangement shown in the drawings in which the 'chains run from the driving sprockets 15 over theguide sprockets 18 and 19, the latter of which, 19, are adjacent the other side of the pallet feed table. From the sprockets 19 the chains run horizontally across the end of the pallet feed table and eonveyer or mold feed table 9 to the sprockets '20 which are slidably mounted on brackets 2% in order that the" chains may be tensioned as desired. The chains 14 run diagonally upward from the sprockets 20, the direction of motion of the diagonally moving portion being the reverse of the direction of the horizontally moving portion, to the sprockets 21 and then horizontally to the sprockets 522, the direction of travel b6- ing again reversed, so that the two her? zontal portions move in the same direction. From the sprockets 22 the chains run down wardly to the drive sprockets 15, thus completing the circuit. The two .chains 14 run parallel with each other and are such a distance apart that the molds and pallets may be placed lengthwise between them without touching either. A dumping table is formedof a pair of guide members 25 located bet-ween the chains 14 and lying parallel With the table 7. This dumping table extends into the framework 1T; theinner end thereof being supported by a strap 26, and the outer end by a pedestal 27.

The inner ends of the guides 25 lie between the sprockets 20 and are curved to correspend with the curvature of the circumference of the sprockets. A metal strap 28 is fixed to the upper edge of each guide and follows the curvature of the inner ends thereof so that the straps are bent around on themselves in a semicircle of the same 1 diameter as 111E sprockets 20. The straps extend from the bends along under the guides 25, parallel therewith, across the mold feed table 9 and are then sloped upwardly and attached at their extremities to the under sides of the guides. A plurality of carriers 29 are attached to the chains at regular intervals, the carriers on one chain being opposite those on the other chain whereby the molds may be held between the chains the pallet feed table and by the carriers.

Each carrier comprises a 1 flat strip of metal 30 bent into the form of thede ter U, an attaching member 31 fixed thereto and. a pallet catch The arms or" the U-shaped member 30 are of unequal length and are both pointed, the points being at the outer sides 3-3, so that the inner i sides 3% are tapered off at 35. The attacln ing member 81 is fixed to the longer arm of the member 30 at the outer side 33 in order that when the carrier is attached to the chain 14 the larger portion of the carrier will overhang the chain. The pallet catch 32 is fixed to the shorter arm of the Ushaped member at the outer edge 33 and extends away from the point of the arm and then transversely so that the upwardly turned extremity thereof will lie inside the inner side of the member 30. The carriers are made left and right hand so that when placed on the chains 14 they will overhang the chains toward each other in order that the molds and pallets may be engaged and carried thereby without contact with either chain. The ends of each mold box are provided with projecting lugs 36 adapted to be engaged between the arms of the U-shaped members to enable the mold boxes to be carried between the chains 14, independent of any other support.

When the mold boxes 8 are ejected from the brick machine they pass over the table 7 and onto the mold feed table 9, where they are caught one at a time and carried into the framework 17 by the catches ll of the chain 10. The chain 10 disengages from the mold box when the same has been car ried to a position between the chains 14. Simultaneously with the travel of the mold box on the mold feed table the clutches 32. carried by the chains 14: engage a pallet on carry it along the arm 12 of the table to a position over the mold box, the pallet sliding under the straps 28 which press it tightl Y down on the mold box. It will be seen in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 3, that the arm 12 of the pallet feed table is on'a level with the top of the mold feed table so that the pallet Wlll slide easily into the mold box'lying in position on the mold feed table. 4 r

\Vhen the pallet is in position over the mold box the arms of the carriers 29 engage the lugs 36 on the end of the mold box and carry it along under the pallet, the pallet being held in place over the mold box by the catches 32 and the straps 28. The mold box and pallet are carried by the chain 14 over the sprockets 20 so that they are inverted, the pallet lying face up on the guides 25 forming the dumping table while the mold box lies upside down on the pallet. During the passage around the sprockets 20 the semicircular bends in the straps 28 hold the pallet firmly against the mold box so l l the lift of that the clay therein Will/hot fall out during the inversion. The chains 14 which travel diagonally upward from the sprockets 20 to the sprockets 21, carry the invertcd mold box with them so that the same is gradually lifted from the pallet and the clay contents allowed to remain let in the exact form of the mold. During the mold box catches 32 remain in engagement with the pallet and slide it along the guides 25, keeping it directly under the mold box until the latter is lifted above and entirely free from the discharged material, thus preventing the lower edge of the mold box from shearing or scraping oif a. portion of the discharged material. Im-

on the pal 1 mediately after the mold box is lifted above the discharged clay the upward movement of the chains disengages the catches 32 from the pallet so that the same is left stationary on the guides 25 and ready to be removed and conveyed to the dry kiln with the molded clay thereon. The empty mold box is carried by the chains 14: over the sprockets 21 and along and over the sprockets 22. After passing over the sprockets 22 the chains take a downward dlrection and the lugs 36 on the mold box slip out from between the arms the mold box is disengaged from the chains and falls by gravity into the sander. The chains of the device may be driven directly from the brick machine or from some other source and geared to operate at such a speed that the mold boxes are dumped and dropped into the'sander as fast as they are filled by the brick making machine. The chain 10 may be driven directly from the brick machine or may be geared to the drive 1shaft 16 of the dumper, as shown in dotted mes.

It will be seen from theforegoing description that I have provided a system that;

will operate automatically to pick up the molds as they are delivered from the brick machine, and convey said molds to a dumping mechanism, locate a pallet over said molds at the proper moment and then automatically invert or dump the contents from the molds in order that the plastic material may be conveyed directly to the drying apparatus, while the molds are at the same time returned to the brick making machine.

Having thus described my I claim is 1. A system of handling brick molds which consists in conveying the filled molds to a dumping mechanism, locating a pallet over each of said molds, automatically inverting said molds and pallets, moving the pallets horizontally under the molds, and simultaneously raising the molds onan inclined plane whereby the contents thereof remain on the pallets.

2. ii systempor" handling brick. molds invention, what 7 which consists in conveying the filled molds to a dumping mechanism, locating a pallet over'each of said molds, automatically inverting said molds and pallets, moving the molds upwardly on an inclined plane whereby the contents thereof will remain on the pallets, and keeping the pallet-s positioned directly under the molds until the molds are clear of their contents.

3. A system of handling brick molds which consists in conveying the filled molds to a dumping mechanism, locating a pallet. over each mold, carrying said molds and pallets to an inverted position above their original location, moving the molds upwardly on an inclined plane, moving the pallets on a horizontal plane below the molds and maintaining the pallets vertically beneath the molds until the latter are clear of their contents.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses. WILLIAM E. LOOMIS. \Vitnesses:

ALEXINA JONCAS, G. HUTCHINSON. 

